Karee slammed his empty mug down on the counter. "And he said not't come back until i'm a real man! Jush cuz i dont wanna fight some schtupid demons in the stupid planes like his dad n all the whole family. You know what! Screw em i'm gonna be a bad... hic. Bad person just to show them..." He slurred, his golden blonde hair falling in front of his face as he slouched forward.
"Yeah, parents," The barkeep agreed with him, not very interested in his rant.
Karee collapsed forward on the counter and started crying uncontrollably.
"Look I can deal with the babbling but if you're gonna cry you can do it in the corner. And settle your tab." The barkeep finally got annoyed with him.
Karee sniffled and straightened up. He pulled his coin pouch out and dropped it on the counter, it jingled heftily. "was the tab?" He paid up for his drinks and started wobbling off to the corner to cry some more. Right before he got there, two men stood up from their table to block him.
"You're carrying some serious coin there, Aasi, what's a stuck-up rich celestial doing in Blackstone?" The one on the left was big with dark hair and a gross-looking beard spoke first.
"I'm nooot rich it's my stupid parents money I kinda took it when I ran off... look I just borrowed I'm gonna give it back when they apologize."
"You ran off, huh? I guess if I were a stuck-up as fuck Aasimar I wouldn't want a crying little femme like you for a son either."
"Hey! That's... screw you... you stupid fuckin' orc"
"I'm a human, idiot." The other man was actually pretty average height and build, there was nothing remotely orcish about him. He grabbed Karee by the shirt and pulled him forward. The other man went up and grabbed for his purse and cloak.
"Hey! Those are mine...!" Karee struggled and pushed back against the not-orc.
All three of them stopped at the sound of steel being drawn. Someone had stood up. He was a handsome-looking half-elf, or... maybe half-drow? Tall and lean but he moved with the grace of a practiced swordsman, his dark hair tied back in a ponytail, and his violet eyes contrasted with his darker skin. "Now I know you two aren't planning on mugging this kid before he even leaves this fine establishment, that just sounds bad for business." His voice was cold.
"Look, Lan, this Aasi has no business..."
"Take the hint. Leave." The half-elf - Lan, cut the not-orc off.
The two looked at Karee for a second, before reluctantly letting him go and storming out of the bar. Karee wobbily turned around and smiled at the half-elf. "Thanksh... you're... hot..." He stumbled and caught himself on a chair.
Lan sheathed his sword and looked back at the bartender, "Did he come in with anybody?"
"Nope. And if he passes out I'm having him thrown out on the street."
Lan sighed. "Alright, you've had a bit much there, little guy, why don't you sleep it off at my place."
"Really?! Wow you're so nice," Karee giggled as Lan lifted him onto his feet. They got two steps when Karee tripped and fell. Lan caught him and picked him up, carrying his small frame easily. You're... great you're not like my stupid family at all..."
"Uh-huh"
Lan's place wasn't far away, and before Karee knew it he was lying face-down on Lan's bed. He passed out almost immediately.
The brightest beam of sunlight in the entire multiverse hit Karee in the eyes, waking him up. "Damn," he grumbled, sitting up in bed. Wait... bed? He'd been sleeping in the back of the wagon of the caravan he'd rode in with. Where was he?
"Awake at last," A strange voice came from the other side of the room. Whatever room this was.
Karee looked over at the source of the voice. "Oh, hi! I'm Karee. Did... we have sex last night?" he asked, legitimately not sure if drunk Karee would have slept with this guy. He sure knew sober Karee would.
"Uhh... no, you passed out immediately. I'll make you some coffee," The half-drow left Karee alone in the tiny room. Doing his best to fight the hangover, Karee hopped up out of bed and followed the half-elf out of his tiny bedroom into... an equally tiny kitchen/living room/etcetera. Karee plopped his butt down into one of the two chairs at the small table and waited for the half-drow to bring the coffee.
"So what's your name?" Karee asked cheerfully, ignoring the headache. Aasimar had fast metabolisms, he figured he'd be sobered up in an hour or two.
"Lan," he answered, setting the coffee down at the table and taking the other seat. "Karee, can I ask why an Aasimar is getting drunk and waving around a purse full of money in Blackstone?"
"Is that what I ended up doing? Yeesh, was I trying to get robbed?"
"You almost did."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yes."
"Well... my family are big rich people out in Erellon, lots of righteous people, servants of Lanya, most Aasimar go on a pilgrimage there to find purpose, blah blah blah. Thing is, they're veeerry traditional there, and I'm really not into the whole sacred purity serve Lanya unflinchingly kinda stuff."
"So you came to Blackstone to do... what exactly? Join the church of Myria?" Lan asked with a bit of a chuckle